Amtrak Southwest Chief at 90 MPH

[Gitfidlpickr]

I must fly to Chicago in October -- I would much refer the train. I do not like airports, airport traffic cops, TSA's, airport baggage, snotty flight attendants, snotty gate keepers, can rentals. I like train stations, train seats, ground level scenery, leg room, clickety-clack ... and I am retired so I have time. But it will have to be another time... I like AMTRAK

[darthpervertous]

Now that's how a diesel locomotive should run!!!

Open the throttle, and let baby girl show you what REAL horsepower is all

about!!

Great video!!!

[METX611]

Very unusual. Mail cars in 2005. I thought they were not used anymore in likely near the 2002-2003 point.

[SouthwestChief]

@METX611

Not mail cars. (read my post I did about a year ago).

They are express reefers hauling strawberries. The Chief had to keep this contract going a while after Amtrak pulled express from all the other trains. But once the contract expired, the express business finally ended on all Amtrak trains.

[UPRR11]

Hey! A Phase III Baggage car! Nice vid!

[moserfox]

Hmm I LIVE HERE! Also i go on that road bout everyday to go mow a yard :) great small town i got say :)

[Teflon65]

Cool.

[cochranexyz]

This will be my family shortly. Headed south for a vacation.

[ACLTony]

@peterthethinker - 98mph. Sweet. I wish we could see Amtrak run at those speeds between Tampa and Washington DC on CSX.

[likestallwomen]

@ACLTony 90, not 98!

[GrantYoung77]

man they were gettin it

[GrantYoung77]

man they waz haulin ass!!

[ke4cpc]

I recall pacing the Southwest Chief along the old Rt.66 and I-40 between Winslow and Flagstaff AZ many times but the speed limit on the interstate was 70 and flow of traffic was usually about 85, so the Chief still passed me up. Then again it was pretty awesome just seeing Intermodals that were outpacing Interstate highway traffic. "All those trucks woulda' been over here [on the highway] at 70MPH, otherwise" I would say to myself.

[Elfos12]

One of the best train rides ever :0)

[tiaashley2009]

I rode this train last summer. =]

[TheTallMan35]

LOL! That freight train had to stop and get out of the way. Amtrak: "Gangway!  Move yer ass, i'm running late!"

[likestallwomen]

@TheTallMan35 Even on time BNSF makes sure they get clear track, if not, he's zig zaggin' all over the place!

[atsf3780]

finally! a train faster than 70 mph in the USA!

[TheTallMan35]

@atsf3780 Umm...you're late. Amtrak has a train called Acela which runs from D.C. to Providence, R.I. that tops out at 140 mph! But that's still crawling compared to the Japanese Bullet Train and the French TGV.

[MrZkr123]

@TheTallMan35 actually the Acela is capable of 165mph but because of wires and track quality, the Acela can only go 150mph in Kingston R.I. and 135mph in the Jersey/Maryland area, but averages 80mph

[MrZkr123]

@TheTallMan35 no they can hit a max speed of 165mph but due to FRA clearence due to track and wire quality they have areas they can hit 150, they average about 85 and south of NY the fastest they go is 135mph

[southparkline1]

@TheTallMan35 Its DC to Boston and runs 150mph at its fastest points.

[welovetacos4]

If i were in the cab of that bnsf...and that thing popped out!! Id be surprised!!

[trinityct]

I love the whine of the superliners wheels as they go near their max speed. The horn at the end is a nice touch. Nice! :)

[jfsa380]

Thats what makes the Genesis' so awesome, when they're going near to their 110 mph cap

[Drewvinci]

@jfsa380 Hell yeah!

[socalvet]

This is the train we are going on!

[Amtrakrailfan23]

Wicked!!!!!!

[Drewvinci]

Damn!

[MrAwesome1361]

So that's what superliners look like at 90. I like it!!!

[TheADude213]

Man, how long has that Phase III baggage been around?

[chatanugadotorg]

@TheADude213 Looked like a former Santa Fe Budd baggage car like the ones that Walthers makes.

[TheDylanJoyce]

90!!!!!!!!!!

[NASCAR884EVER]

i grew up in this town my grandpa still lives there i also climbed that signel tower in the video when i was a teenager

[mfastx]

i don't know bout yall but i like the sound of the horn AFTER the train passes (like in this vid) i could care less about the horn as it is approaching, but AFTER it passes it sounds really cool.

[drewditty]

Damn this mother is cookin with OIL!

[truerailfan01]

This is the best video of an amtrak train I ever saw.I wonder was the bnsf crew was scared lol.

[acelakid94]

Imagine if freight went that fast....

[Coastergeekperson04]

Maybe our economy could run better.

[NASCAR884EVER]

@acelakid94 the freight trains that go throught that town do 70 its all flat river bottom groung

[steven92336]

Some pretty bang up coaches if you ask me...

[ecw0647]

I thought the top speed anywhere on Amtrak was 87 mph.

[decline2state]

The top speed outside of the NEC is 79 mph. But I guess there are a few paces with automatic train control or cab signaling where Amtrak trains can run faster.

[likestallwomen]

Nope, especially not on the Santa Fe! 90 where ATS is located on the old Chief route, it's 90!

[JElyons100]

@likestallwomen It would be nice for 110!

[Coastergeekperson04]

Were those mail cars?

[PumpkinHogger]

Yup

[likestallwomen]

I hear you guys, but man, when they let 4 and 3 go that fast, it's red hot!

[jfsa380]

@PumpkinHogger

what about the last two?

[SouthwestChief]

Yep all three cars on the end are express reefers. You can see the Carrier reefer unit if you look close on the last car.

[SouthwestChief]

Nope,

Those are express perishable reefers. No longer used. But for a while Amtrak (using the Southwest Chief) had to keep up a strawberry contract commitment. When it expired so too did the use of these express cars.

[howardkevinm]

How long is it allowed to shoot 90mph for? i know its the only long distance train allowed to do it.

[juasha]

Awesome.

[1225dude]

lovin it

[FlyBikes089]

Cool

[kenjr29mfl]

Awesome!!! 5***** I caught an Amtrak boxcar on a CSX freight here in FL yesterday.

[Railfan19960]

railroader1993, yes, those are the Amtrak boxcars, they used them for mail back in the 60s 70s and the 80s, not sure what train was doing with them

[juvmol]

last 3 cars??? box cars??

[railroader1993]

Amtrak boxcars?

[1if30wn3r]

They use them for storing the passengers' luggage I believe for the longer distance journeys.  When I traveled from Newark, NJ to Orlando, FL, they had those.

[s7o0a0p]

I thought they were express cars for carrying goods that needed fast shipment such as fruits?

[xanadu77]

.....just awesome.

[sammydenyc]

this train goes up to 90 mph?

i thought the speed limit was like 79 mph, with the exception of the NEC...

[carnadero]

Sections of the old SF mainline have ATS, which allows a max 90 mph running for passenger trains.

[Coasterrider210]

the BNSF makes the P42DC look soo small lol

[FlyBikes089]

Lol yeaah

[traindude80]

P42DC, P42DC, P42DC, Baggage, Transition Sleeper, Sleeper, Sleeper, Diner, Observatory Lounge, Coach, Coach, Coach, Boxcar, Boxcar, Boxcar

[secret1service]

what's the difference of a transition sleeper and sleeper? Thanks.

[Yellownealy]

I think the crew sleeps in the transition.

[Guser223]

you are right

[amtraksouthwestchief]

nice shot man

[expertmax1]

Nice one ! Thanks for sharing !

[sportsmovieman]

Southwest Chief baby going down the Strip!

[AmtrakFanNEC927]

just a beautiful shot

[kaylabloemendaal]

Weird.. I live in this town!

[likestallwomen]

Nice shot, and yeah I know one friend who thinks since they got rid of the M and E that freights are over Amtrak! That shot with a hot Z mind you, shows otherwise! BNSF don't play when Amtrak's in the neighborhood, even when it's late!

[Taaaarail]

For those on the ground and onboard the Southwest Cheif......That is High Speed Rail!

[voiceonthehill]

AWESOME!!! This video made my day, and makes me respect the BNSF even more!!

[monty5329]

agreed. You won't see CSX doing that up here

[ACLTony]

That was nice! Monty, hard to believe but CSX's distant ancestor, the ACL, had some smooth mainlines between North Carolina and Virginia with 100mph running. But yes, those days are long gone by.

[xxxseXierIkAF4Grlxxx]

HIGHBALL!

[SouthwestChief]

Awesome footage. Wish all long distance passenger trains could do 90mph. Thank you Santa Fe for your forward thinking, no way they'd still be doing anything over 79 without you.

[LansingJct]

He was flyin

[NJT4111]

wow, look at that old AMT baggage, and He was Flying! sweet video!

[ACLTony]

Sweet! Nice to see high speeds outside of the NEC. Wish we could see that in Florida.

[KalesAvenue]

Eastbound #4 in the early morning right?

Fresh Kansas City Stars in front of each bedroom door in the Sleeper.

Westbound 3 typically travels through here in the dark.

[Spokker]

If only it could do that the entire trip.

[Texaskingfish]

Looks like you were on Tom Bash Road. That gravel street was not there when I grew up in Mendon

[Trains232]

that was fast!

[Chafford1]

Why aren't there any barriers between the road and the tracks?

[PumpkinHogger]

There is a nice soggy deep ditch

[Texaskingfish]

Because it's a dead little town and the grain elevator you see in the background is the last business open in town.

Only other thing there is the consolidated school district.

[amtrakjackson]

@Chafford1

Why would there need to be a barrier?

[trainboy15]

great video

[milw189]

Sadly, isn't that stretch no wreligated to 79MPH? I thought they had removed the ATS that gave them 90 speed limits.

[PumpkinHogger]

ATS is in place and functional

[Jaanfo]

It's illegal to remove safety equipment (such as ATS, crossing gates, etc) from a railroad under any circumstances UNLESS the railroad is formally abandoned... in which case it is required to be reinstalled if the Railroad is reactivated. However, if the railroad wants to reduce the speed on a line arbitrarily that's their perogative.

[PumpkinHogger]

With FRA permission it is perfectly legal to remove ATS.

[SF3751]

Nice shot.

[BoredTrucker1902]

What are the three cars behind the Amtrak?

[PumpkinHogger]

Boxcars for express service

[trainsmaniac2009]

He was really bookin' it down the Marc Sub.

[bnsfatsf]

5 stars and a fav great job thats a good place to watch trains.